Should I buy eggs or wait it out?

[lindz8504]

I don't remember who's picture this was but what kind of chicks were these?

It was a picture of the "Red Pullets" from Tractor Supply....... They could be Golden comets, RIR, or one of the other Red Sex links....

I bought 3 of them!

 

[mortie]

they look exactly like my mystery chicks. The light stripes down the back too...I think they are feather sexable and when i sexed mine I found the ones with the light stripes were females...which explains why the ones in this pic almost all have the light stripes.

I suspect they are production reds? That's my guess. I can solve this mystery for us though. I can go talk to the farmer I got my eggs from and just ask the guy what kind of chickens he has...I'm pretty sure yours are the same as mine, whatever they are.

 

[mortie]

Here are a couple of mine

 

[lindz8504]

Look the same to me!

Here are a couple of mine

 

[cheeka]

Hi Sully, good to hear from you, I'm so sorry to hear of the difficulties, so sorry for the loss of your Dad

Glad to hear that you are on the mend with lots of loving support!

love the pics - eagle, eggs, chicks, pups...

I got to head out this afternoon in the incredible cold to do a little riding around and searching for scenic pics. I got very lucky... had a blast and finished the day with awesome gluten free pizza and orange soda!

my favorite of today's pics:

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Here are a couple of mine

In red sexlinks, the males will be lighter or white and the females the darker buff. That lighter one doesn't look like pics of male sexlinks I've seen, though, so definitely mystery chicks. Your mystery chicks may be more than one breed too. (Just thinking out loud.

)

I don't know much about feather sexing, but have heard that it only holds true for certain breeds (don't know what they are

). It will be interesting to see if it works for yours. They sure are cute!

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Hi Everyone! Welcome to the new posters, the new puppies, and the new chicks!

It has taken me 3 days to catch up with this thread! Thanks for all the info and mostly the laughs! I had surgery 2 1/2 weeks ago and I can finally get out to do all my farm chores (horses, chickens and goats) by myself! I am so lucky to have someone I can count on to help with the critters! My middle daughter also came to stay with me for the first week and ended up staying an extra week (My dad died suddenly right after I had the surgery). Thank goodness for great kids.

I put a dozen blue eggs in the incubator a week ago, and I think they are all duds. I was saving them for my pool guy, that I have corrupted with chicken math, but my helper put them in the carton point side up while she was getting enough for him and I think that messed them up. I will candle them again this week to see. What a bummer if none of them are viable!

I too went to TSC about 3 weeks ago and HAD to buy some EE's (that were advertised as Ameraucana's) But you know just looking at the chicks they are EE's. So, anyone know how to sex them before they feather out? They were straight runs so I picked 3 of each. Dark chipmunks and light chipmunks. With my luck, they will still be all boys! I guess I didn't take any pictures of them. I will try to do that tomorrow. Oopsie!

Wow Sully, you sure have been through the wringer lately. Very sorry to hear about your dad, but glad you are recovering. Your great kids must have had an awesome mom!

That eagle pic was something to see. There are a few that have made it down into parts of California, but I have yet to see one. Golden eagles we have and lots of redtails, but it would sure be cool to see a baldy.

You can sometimes sex EEs at 3 weeks. The males will have a wider looking comb that has 3 rows of bumps (or peas). The females will have a single row down the center, with the edges looking relatively flat. In profile, the male comb will show while the female's is not visible. There are some coloration clues as well. Rusty red splotches on the wings means males, but you usually don't see this until around 5 wks. Generally, the females feather out faster, having good tails and feathered shoulders and heads while the males are still fuzzy in those spots. None of this is 100%, but it holds true pretty frequently. If you take pics, try to get a close up of the combs and I'll see if I can tell. (cheeka's good at this too).

So many beautiful pictures! The snow may be a pain and cold, but it sure makes for great photos. This is my favorite.

 

[mortie]

I know they could be mutts. Actually I was pretty sure they were mutts until I saw a picture of identical chucks here. I suspect they have some production red in them. In any case it doesn't much matter if they lay me lots of eggs lol. BTw I came across lindz's pic looking for a pic of a certain barred rock to make a funny caption with but got totally distracted with the chick pic.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Dust bath



Babies!

I love how the one crawled into the cinder block

New coop

You can see it's much smaller than the original but I love it!

Adorable babies and coops, congrats!!!!

Two babies and another about to hatch

Quote: X3!!!!!!

Quote: I am as bad, I gave a couple dozen quail eggs to hatch today. Discovered one of my Indiana thread people are at the same campground we are!
Small world. It was really cool, we had met before a few times, and didn't even realize we knew each other! Her Mom and my sis are close friends.
I recently got 2 roos, (RIR and BLP) and gifted both of the owners with a LOT of quail eggs. Both liked them so much they are now raising them.

Congrats on the new chicks SBMom and mortie! keep those pics coming!! and also, Congrats CLindz on the new coop, it's really nice! glad the flock is happy in their new space - lindz, how are your girls making out in their new space????

the day is not over yet - I still have to go make one more check for eggs in about an hour... but I have TWENTY FOUR EGGS!!! 4 from the Fosters, and 20 from the Dome! best egg day yet! I sold 4 dozen today, expect to sell as many tomorrow, and I hard boiled 2 dozen for myself for the week.

and double yes! because it seems that my blue Cochin, Delilah, is wanting to be broody. she is constantly sitting on everyone's eggs...

Awesome egg count

sending broody vibes

Congrats on the chicks!!

Cheeka, congrats on the egg number! That is great!

Now,, for my news. Remember the EE I have spent a YEAR complaining about? The little stinker laid an egg!

It was April the last time she laid! It is green, and very odd shaped, but it is her's!

thats great news! Hoping Bunny (EE) starts laying too. I hatch every one of her eggs, the babies sell off very fast.
I have 4 of her daughters I won't part with, they are just sweet birds. I need to add true Ameraucana to my flock so I can raise EE and OEs.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote:
Hope so. Bunny is seasonal, she lays in warm weather only, so I hatch every one she gives me. Any hint of cold, I know she is done till next year.
She is 2 already, geez!

I want to see more pictures of weird shaped eggs. And puppies. I need to be distracted lol.

I had a 9.25 oz goose egg...left to right is an OEGB, turkey, pekin, normal goose and the HUGE egg.


I set it, and used a mini bungee strap to hold it. Prolly a double yolk but I couldn't resist!

Quote:
Splish (her late sister was Splash, they are splash EE) is only one. She was just starting to lay when I got her in late February. They had no excuse to stop laying.
I am wondering if it is coincidence that when I switched the feed to Agway egg layer feed, I began getting good egg numbers about two days later?

I am pretty sure it was just the longer/warmer days. I don't know that I want to go back to Purina now, JIC!
Store brands are usually a name brand with a store label. Wonder who the supplier is?
Quote:

Quote: Roosters really aren't. I keep several, and it stops the "human attack" issues. When I only had Red, my oldest GLW roo, it was a real headache.
Once I added more hatched chicks to the egg flock, Red ignored me, and started being a normal rooster, and now even he is a pick me up and friendly bird.
His oldest son and some hens got a new home yesterday, had an older fella come and buy most of my GLW, a few EE and my first hatched sexlink roo Buddy.
Good thing too, I had planned to add him to the processing list, he was pretty rough on the other roosters, and I can't have that.

BTW, Josh is scratching his nose, not picking it.

Loved all the pics! Lovely family and adorable pictures too.

Quote:

Now allow me to laugh.

You will be getting a rooster before you know it. You will succumb to the cuteness of chicks, and want to see yours being born. Or, a hen will go broody, and you will not be able to break her. You will not want to have to spend another week looking for someone with fertile eggs for a broody, so you will get a rooster (not a big deal) and wish you had done it sooner.
X2